MOSCOW, 4 May 2026. The VCIOM Analytical Center presents the results of a study on the unity of the peoples of Russia.

Tell me who your friend is

The foundation of national unity is formed primarily through individual experiences and everyday interactions with people from other ethnic groups. According to the data obtained, these interactions are stable and occur on a regular basis. Nine out of ten Russians interact with people of other ethnic groups, and more than half do so almost daily. These interactions often develop into close social ties: three quarters of respondents have friends from other ethnic backgrounds.

Love beyond borders

Interethnic marriage is a more sensitive issue than everyday communication or friendship; however, openness and positive attitudes still prevail. More than half of Russians would support a close family member’s decision to marry someone from another ethnic group. One in seven would oppose such a union, while the rest would remain neutral.

Personal experience versus prejudice

Eight out of ten Russians have no fear or apprehension toward people of other ethnic groups. Attitudes are largely shaped by personal experience: those who regularly interact with people from other ethnic backgrounds, especially those with such friends, demonstrate greater openness and tolerance than those without this experience.

Tolerant youth

Russians demonstrate a similar level of openness to interethnic dialogue regardless of gender, education level, or socioeconomic status. Differences in the intensity of interaction are driven mainly by generational and regional factors. Young people today are the most willing to engage with representatives of other ethnic groups.

Young people’s attitudes toward interethnic unions can be described as generally positive and neutral. Although older generations largely share this attitude, they include nearly four times more opponents of so-called mixed marriages. For younger people, a partner’s ethnicity is more often irrelevant, while for older Russians it may serve as a barrier leading to more categorical views.

Geography of interethnic unity

To comprehensively assess interethnic relations in Russian society, an Ethnic Tolerance Index* was developed, taking into account the frequency of Russians’ interactions (including friendships) with people of other ethnic groups, their attitudes, and their potential willingness to form family ties.

Regional results indicate a generally favorable situation in the interethnic relations: no ‘red’ (problematic) or borderline zones were identified, and the calculated index exceeds 50 points out of a possible 100 in all federal districts of the country. Ethnically diverse regions lead the tolerance ranking. The North Caucasian Federal District ranks first by a wide margin (79 points), with residents showing the highest levels of interaction, friendship, and willingness to form family ties with people of other ethnic groups. The Ural and Volga Federal Districts follow as second-tier leaders (68 and 66 points respectively), also demonstrating high levels of interethnic interaction and positive attitudes toward interethnic friendships and marriages.

The Southern and Siberian Federal Districts hold middle positions in the ranking, with 62 points each. In these regions, the indicators across all four sub-indices are relatively evenly distributed.

The North-Western, Central, and Far Eastern Federal Districts rank at the bottom of the list. Despite a seemingly similar situation in interethnic relations (with index scores ranging from 52 to 53 points), the factors limiting further growth of the index differ across these regions. For example, in the Central Federal District, family ties through interethnic marriage may represent a particular barrier, while in the Far East concerns and apprehension toward people of other ethnic groups are more pronounced than elsewhere.

* Ethnic Tolerance Index measures the extent to which Russians are open to interaction with people of other ethnic groups. It is a composite indicator calculated based on four questions (sub-indices), each assigned a specific weight. The index is measured on a 0–100 point scale. The higher the index value, the more favorable the situation regarding tolerance in Russian society.

— ‘Attitude’ Sub-index (weight in the overall index — 25%). It is calculated based on the question: ‘In general, how do you feel toward people of other nationalities different from your own: with apprehension and caution, or without apprehension and caution?’ The sub-index is calculated as the difference between the shares of respondents who answered ‘without caution or apprehension’ and those who answered ‘with a sense of caution or apprehension’.  

— ‘Interaction’ Sub-index (weight in the overall index — 15%). It is calculated based on the question: ‘In your everyday life, how often do you communicate with people of an ethnic background different from your own?’ The response ‘almost every day’ is assigned a coefficient of 0.9; ‘once or twice a week’ — 0.7; ‘once or twice a month’ — 0.5; ‘once every few months’ — 0.3; ‘once every six months or less’ — 0.1; and ‘never’ — 0.

— ‘Friendship’ Sub-index (weight in the overall index — 25%). It is calculated based on the question: ‘Among your friends, are there people of an ethnic background different from your own?’ The sub-index is calculated as the difference between the shares of respondents who answered “yes” and those who answered “no”.

— ‘Marriage’ Sub-index (weight in the overall index — 35%). It is calculated based on the question: ‘Imagine that your close relative (son, daughter, or another family member) wants to marry a person of an ethnic background different from your own. How would you feel about this?’ The response ‘fully approve’ is assigned a coefficient of 0.9; ‘rather approve’ — 0.7; ‘rather disapprove’ — 0.3; ‘fully disapprove’ — 0; ‘indifferent / neutral’ — 0.5; and ‘depends on the situation’ — 0.1.

‘VCIOM-Sputnik’ nationwide telephone survey was conducted on April 5, 2026. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. The method used was a telephone interview based on a stratified random sample drawn from a comprehensive list of mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted by socio-demographic parameters. The margin of error, with a 95% confidence level, does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, survey results may also be affected by question wording and various circumstances arising during fieldwork.

Key survey effectiveness indicators as of April 5, 2026: cooperation rate (CR) *= 0.7355; minimum response rate (MRR) = 0.0318; response rate (RR) *** = 0.0749**

Calculations are based on corporate standard:

 * CR: the ratio of completed interviews to the sum of: (a) completed interviews and (b) all non-completed interviews with respondents who confirmed that they met the sampling criteria

* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** MRR: the ratio of completed interviews to the sum of: (a) completed interviews, (b) interrupted interviews after successful screening, and (c) all respondents for whom it remained unknown whether they met the sampling criteria.

**RR is calculated in the same way as the MRR, with the only difference being that the number of respondents whose eligibility remains unknown is reduced proportionally to the share of eligible respondents among all respondents whose eligibility status (eligible or not) was successfully determined.